Finals Week

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to pop in to let you know that I am not leaving.  I am just taking a hiatus for a bit to finish up final papers, defend my thesis, and GRADUATE!   After that, I've got a big move back to VA coming up, so things will be a bit crazy between now and mid to late May.

I have some exciting recipes that I will post once things calm down.  Among them are spicy Jamaican oxtails with coconut rice and peas, deliciously crunchy oatmeal waffles, and a delightfully tangy Nicaraguan pork fricassee.  I hope you're all looking forward to some yumminess coming your way!

Thanks for reading :),
DF

Southeast Asian Caramelized Sweet and Spicy Braised Pork Kaw Saik Jrouk

Mmmmm, kaw (kaw saik jrouk) is one of my favorite Cambodian dishes.  I absolutely love it's delicious caramelized yumminess!  It is a pork stew like nothing else you've ever had before, but I promise that if you give it a chance, you'll love it.  The dominant flavors are a dark sweetness and a delicious spiciness that balances it.  Kaw is a braised pork dish in a caramelized broth with crunchy bamboo shoots and yummy hard-boiled eggs.  I know, I know, why on earth would there be hard-boiled eggs in broth?  Well, once you try this, you'll never ask that again because the eggs are, without a doubt, the absolute best part.  They soak up all of the yummy sweet and spicy caramelized goodness, yummmm!

The broth is made with a base of caramelized palm sugar and garlic with lots of magical, tasty Asian sauces, lol.  Don't worry, the sauces are fairly inexpensive at about 3 bucks or less per bottle in your local SE Asian market.  If you are either diabetic or have high blood pressure, this dish is NOT for you.  There is a high sugar content and a high sodium content, but it neither tastes overly sweet nor overly sugary once it's done.

I found out on another blog, WhiteOnRiceCouple, that this dish is also made in Vietnamese cuisine.  Interestingly enough, I was explaining the dish to my Guatemalan friend who is of Cantonese descent and she says, "hmmm, we make the same dish."  So apparently, they make the same thing, but with more of a Chinese 5-spice kind of twist because they put lots of star anise in it, too.  I will have to invite her to try my version and see what she thinks.  

So, in short, this dish has been around the world for a reason--it's absolutely deelish!

**This recipe was adapted from Forg3tM3Not770 on YouTube.

Ingredients:

2 lbs of pork loin (my boyfriend's dad uses pork belly but his mom and many other people use pork loin), in bite-sized pieces

2 short cans (8 0z) of sliced bamboo shoots, rinsed

6 or 7 hard-boiled eggs, peeled (be careful not to break the flesh)

1-1/3 cup palm sugar (the jarred type is much more convenient, but you can use the block and grate it)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 scant basting spoon of dark sweet soy (this is NOT regular soy sauce)* use maybe 1 TB or so less than my video ( I made it a bit sweet that time)

1-1/2 basting spoons of fish sauce

one basting spoon of soy sauce

1/2 cup + 2 cups of water, separated

2 TB cracked black pepper

salt to taste

Procedure:

Saute the garlic in vegetable oil for about 30 seconds over low to medium low heat.

Stir in the palm sugar and turn the heat up to medium to med-high heat.  

Brown the sugar mixture, stirring constantly until darker brown, about 10 minutes.

Add in 1/2 cup of water and blend.  

Once the water and palm sugar have blended and the water reaches a boil, add in the pork.

After a minute or so, add in the fish sauce, soy sauce, and dark sweet soy sauce and stir until blended.

Allow to cook until the meat is nearly done.

Add in black pepper, bamboo, and 2 cups of water and stir until blended.

Once it reaches a boil, gently stir in eggs, cover and simmer for 20 minutes on low heat.

Enjoy with jasmine rice!

Just as a note, once I finish with my thesis, I will edit this and other videos into one per recipe; however, I just do not have the time now.

*On video V, I got a bit out of control on the descriptions, so if you want to get straight to the recipe, you can even skip this vid and go on to VI.  I was just explaining ingredients.

Creamy, Rich, and Comforting Cuban Tamal Soup/Tamal en Cazuela

Tamal en Cazuela, which literally translates to tamal in a in a pot, is a wonderfully rich, hearty soup made with a base of fresh ground corn and cornmeal.  Many Cuban soups (such as crema de malanga (cream of malanga/yautia/coco yam) and sopa de ajo (garlic soup--see previous post) are very thick and hearty.  They are more commonly a creamy, even paste-like consistency as opposed to a thinner, runny texture.  It's amazing that these dishes were created on an island where there's no real winter because, for most of us, these dishes would seem like winter meals.  Oddly enough, I found the same to be the case in the Dominican Republic, where they regularly drink thick maizena (a thick, creamy, cornstarch-based hot drink) and eat hearty sancocho.  I assume that these very hearty dishes are primarily a product of the African influence in both countries.  Ahh, what a marvelously delicious influence it is.

For those of you who have never had or even seen tamal in cazuela, much like me for before I moved to Miami, it is very similar to a polenta or even grits in thickness, but is much creamier and smoother.  For those of you who just can't get into grits because, well, they're gritty...or because they just never seem to have enough flavor, tamal en cazuela is the answer to all of your problems--it's immensely flavorful, smooth and creamy, warm, rich, and comforting.  The flavor is intensely garlicky, like most Cuban food, and it also has the slightest touch of tanginess and sweetness from white wine added into the sofrito, or vegetable seasoning sauce.

Even though it's hot here, mid 80s or so, I still love this dish.  It's great for me because it lasts throughout my hot, busy days and because I can heat it up to lukewarm at home and it holds up until I eat at lunch time.  For those of you still enduring the bitter cold, you've got even more reason to make this dish.  Though it may be intimidating on the sole basis of being unfamiliar, don't be scared, you can definitely finish this dish in 40 minutes easily.  It doesn't need babying either.  Once you've got the soup together, just stir about every 7-10 minutes while it simmers.  Otherwise, leave it covered and let it do its thing.

Just as a note, to get an idea of the actual color, which is a beautiful, rich golden yellow, see the final video at 3:09.  The color on the soup in the rest of the video is way off and doesn't look appetizing, I know.

Tamal en Cazuela

Tools: blender or food processor

Ingredients:
1 lb of boneless pork, marinated 10 minutes in the mojo or cooked with lots of garlic and lime
**I cut them bite-sized in the vid, but I prefer the traditional small bits
**I used rib meat, which I would likely pre-simmer for 20 minutes to get it tender next time.  Use pork of your
choice.

1 lime
3-4 cloves of garlic
mojo (in lieu of the lime and garlic - the traditional recipe simply seasons the meat with salt and lime)
2TB  olive oil

1 small white onion, diced finely
1 green pepper, diced finely
3 cloves of garlic, smashed with salt or minced
1/2 cup tomato sauce (unflavored)
2 TB of dry white wine*
1.5 cups of yellow corn meal* (I did 3/4 cup but I'll do 1 cup the next go 'round)
salt to taste (about 1-1/2 tsp should do for the assembled soup)
1 TB olive oil

2 cups frozen sweet kernel corn, thawed
3 cups of water

* these are amounts that I have changed since making the video

Procedure:
In a large pot over medium heat with 2TB of olive oil, cook the marinated meat (or the meat with garlic and lime), stirring frequently, until it is about 85% cooked. 

Meanwhile, make the sofrito by sauteeing the green pepper and onion over medium low heat in a pan with 1 TB olive oil.  Once softened, add in the garlic, tomato sauce, and oil, and bring the pan up to medium heat.  Sautee for a few minutes to cook off the wine, stirring occasionally.

Once the sofrito is ready, add it to the meat and continue the cooking process, stirring the seasoning into the meat and its juices.

Meanwhile, grind the corn in a blender or food processor.  It will get stuck, so just use your spoon to move the mixture around and process the mixture again until homogeneous.  Once you have a homogeneous mixture, add in 3 cups of water and process the mixture again until homogeneous.

Once the meat has cooked for a few minutes, strain the corn mixture into the soup and blend.
Once blended, add in the corn meal and blend.  Cover and simmer over low heat for an hour, stirring every 7-10 minutes to avoid sticking.  Thirty minutes is sufficient, but one hour will simply intensify the flavors.

Makes 4 sizable servings.
 

Southeast Asian Marinated Fried Tofu with Pickled Daikon Radish and Carrot Slaw

The next recipe in the vegetarian meal series is a delicious, incredibly flavorful fried tofu.  It is marinated in delicious spicy, almost curry-like marinade commonly used in Cambodian cooking called kreung.  Kreung, representative of Indian influence in Cambodian cuisine, is a seasoning paste that can vary in its ingredients but is generally made up of lemongrass, Thai birdseye chilies, garlic, galangal, shallots, and kaffir lime (leaf or juice), but may sometimes also include ingredients such as turmeric, cilantro and prahok (fermented fish paste).  It is used to flavor many meats and soups in the Cambodian kitchen.

This dish is very easy and delicious, especially with the pickled daikon and carrot slaw, which I absolutely love.  The slaw is slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and is bursting with a delicious garlicky flavor.  It's a refreshing addition to the spicy, intense flavor of the marinated tofu.  The pickled daikon and carrot slaw is the same pickle used on banh mi, or Vietnamese sandwiches, and is generally served with fried foods in Cambodian cuisine.

For those who are looking to experiment with vegetarian meals, this is a wonderful introduction since it is far from lacking in flavor and texture.  For vegetarians looking to spice up their diet, this recipe is great for you, too.  Lastly, for those looking to gradually introduce new flavors into their kitchen, this recipe requires very inexpensive and easy to find ingredients (at least in Richmond).  All of the ingredients (literally, everything in the list, even the mortar and pestle and a cheap hand tool to julienne veggies) can be easily found at your local Southeast Asian market.  The peppers are only about $2 a bag, by the way, and the turmeric is sold on the dry spice aisle.  I have a list of some of my favorites in Richmond on the right side of my blog.
 

Enjoy this tasty recipe that comes courtesy of My Linh from KhmerKromRecipes.com.  You can find the original recipe "To hu chien kreung" or "Fried Tofu with Lemongrass" recipe on her website in the "fried foods" section http://www.khmerkromrecipes.com/.


Ingredients:

pickled daikon and carrot slaw
Thai hand julienne tool
(optional, but will speed up the process significantly and only costs 2 or 3 bucks) (http://somtum.info/images/31FjO25OofL._SL160_.jpg)


1 tsp salt
2 cups shredded or julienned daikon radish, approx 1/2 lb daikon (found in SE Asian or Korean markets) (http://supperinthecity.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/daikon_radish.jpg)
2 cups shredded or julienned carrot

1/2 cup white vinegar (yes, it does matter, WHITE vinegar)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 TB salt
 1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed (do not use pre-packaged, pre-chopped garlic here) (optional)

Procedure: 
Mix the shredded veggies with 1 tsp of salt and toss them gently to distribute the salt evenly.  This will serve to soften the veggies and they will begin releasing their juices.  Let them sit for a minute or two then rinse and squeeze out the excess liquid.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the vinegar, sugar, water, and the 1 TB of salt together, and the minced or pressed garlic (if you plan on using it).  Mix well until the sugar and salt dissolve.  Pour the vinegar sauce over the carrot and daikon and mix well before serving.

This pickled slaw is best when allowed to sit ideally overnight, but at least for 30 minutes to an hour.

tofu marinade:
*1 mortar and pestle--must be *stone*, NOT wood or clay or it will not work

2 cloves of garlic
2 TB minced lemongrass (you can buy pre-minced in the frozen section or mince the fresh stuff yourself)
2 Thai birdseye chilies (optional, but yummmy!)
1 tsp soy sauce (be sure that soy is actually on the list of ingredients...not all brands are real soy sauce)
1 tsp oyster sauce (or mushroom sauce if you're a strict vegetarian)
1 tsp turmeric powder (or 3 or 4 minced turmeric roots)

1 package *firm* tofu, sliced horizontally in half, with a about 5-7 slits vertically across the top only of the tofu
3 TB vegetable oil
 
Procedure
Pound all of the first section of ingredients together into a uniform paste in a stone mortar and pestle.  Gently rub the marinade on each piece of tofu that has been rinsed and patted dry.

I would allow it to marinade 15-20 minutes, but this is optional.

Preheat oil in a skillet or wok over medium heat.  Fry the tofu until brown and crispy. Serve with white rice and pickled daikon carrot slaw.  I have also done this recipe on my foreman grill and in my toaster oven at a high temperature (400 or so) and it turned out very yummy.  Just be sure to grease the surface of  whatever alternative cooking device you choose.

*Mortar and pestle photo courtesy of ImportFood.com on Amazon.com
*Birdseye chili photo courtesy of devonfresh.com

Don't forget to let me know what you guys think about this and other posts by hitting the "useful," "interesting," or "cool" buttons below or by leaving a comment.  I love to see what types of recipes you prefer and how things turn out when you try these recipes at home.

Happy cooking :)!
DF